Norse outslug Thunder for first softball win
Whitehall’s Kyla Lambeck put the ball in play during the team’s 24-17 win over Osseo-Fairchild on Thursday. (Times photograph by Andrew Dannehy)
After giving up four runs to Osseo-Fairchild in the top of the first inning, it seemed like the Whitehall softball team was in trouble. But the Norse brought their bats, raking 19 hits and scoring 24 runs in what ended up being an eight-run win.
As both teams kept scoring, Whitehall slowly chipped away before exploding for 11 runs in the bottom of the fifth to take control.
The Norse trailed 15-10 in the bottom of the fifth before Harlow Foss scored on a single by Taylor Johnson. Kyla Lambeck scored on an error to make it a two-run game. After a single and a walk loaded the bases, Eden Matejka doubled to clear them and give the Norse a 16-15 lead. Matejka later scored on a groundout to put Whitehall ahead by two.
The Thunder chose to intentionally walk Johnson, but Carson Coburn made them pay with a two-run double. Olivia Killing singled home two more runs to give the Norse a 21-15 lead.
O-F got one run back in the top of the sixth, but the Norse put up three in the bottom half of the inning. One run scored on an error and another on a groundout before Johnson singled to put her team ahead 24-16.
The Norse only allowed one runner in the seventh to win by eight.
After the Thunder took an early lead with four in the top of the first, Whitehall responded with one in the bottom half. O-F scored another in the second and Whitehall came back with two to make the score 5-3 after two innings. It looked like O-F was going to pull away when the team scored five runs in the top of the third, but the Norse put up four in the bottom half to stay in the game.
Johnson went five-for-five with four RBIs for the Norse while Killian was four-for-four with three RBIs, Clatt was three-for-five with two RBIs and Addison Poeschel also had three hits. Matejka had two hits and four RBIs. Lambeck and Avvia Herman both batted in two runs.
Poeschel got the win for the Norse, relieving Clatt in the circle with one out in the first inning. She struck out seven while walking eight and allowing 13 hits.
With a 1-1 record on the season, Whitehall is slated to host Alma/Pepin on Friday. They’ll welcome Blair-Taylor this coming Tuesday before hitting the road for the first time with a game at Eleva-Strum next week Friday.
